PORTAGE, MI -- A 19-year-old from Schoolcraft went to jail and his 15-year-old companion, from Portage, was released to his parents after the two were found with electronics, jewelry and other items police believe they took from vehicles.

According to a news release from Portage Public Safety, a resident called dispatch at 3:27 a.m. May 23 and said he saw two suspicious people coming from between houses on Isabelle Street near Edgefield Street.

When officers went to investigate, they stopped a vehicle that was quickly leaving the area and the driver and passenger admitted to breaking into vehicles in the neighborhood.

Officers were able to recover stolen property that the pair threw from their vehicle before they were stopped; additional property was recovered from their vehicle.

Charges of breaking and entering of an automobile will be requested against both the man and teenager, according to the news release.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Portage Department of Public Safety at 329-4567 or Silent Observer at 343-2100.

Police believe the vehicles that were hit were not forcibly broken
into. Sgt. John Blue encouraged people to take valuables out of their
cars to prevent theft.

"The key to prevention of burglary of vehicles," he said, is to
remove the opportunity by taking cell phones, computers, purses and other valuables out of the car when it is parked.